


hey, angel

by pastisregret



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 02:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21829681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastisregret/pseuds/pastisregret
Summary: Candy canes were a staple in Marinette’s possession during the holiday season. Handing them out in between classes to friends or dipping them into her hot chocolate in an attempt to find refuge from the cold became somewhat of a tradition for her every year, as expected as the first snowfall.What she hadn’t expected, however, was the emergence of one tied to a love letter and smuggled into her locker, hours before the classroom’s holiday party. Even now, as she mouthed out the words while Alya read the carefully folded piece of paper, it seemed too picturesque to be true.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 25
Kudos: 305





	hey, angel

**Author's Note:**

> it's secret santa time!! ahh i'm so excited to share this <3

Candy canes were a staple in Marinette’s possession during the holiday season. Handing them out in between classes to friends or dipping them into her hot chocolate in an attempt to find refuge from the cold became somewhat of a tradition for her every year, as expected as the first snowfall.

What she hadn’t expected, however, was the emergence of one tied to a love letter and smuggled into her locker, hours before the classroom’s holiday party. Even now, as she mouthed out the words while Alya read the carefully folded piece of paper, it seemed too picturesque to be true.

_An angel fresh from the snow,_

_And with a heart as true as gold._

_I hope that no matter where you go,_

_That my heart will follow until we grow old._

_Won’t you make my Christmas wish come true?_

_You see, I would love to spend my day with you._

“They’re quite the poet,” Alya comments, handing over the note back to Marinette and raising a brow, impressed.

“You think?” Marinette asks, folding the paper and tucking it into her back pocket. “When I found it, I thought it had been swiped from some poet site.”

“Any hints about who it could be from?”

“Nothing,” Marinette says, unrolling the wrapping paper and reaching for her scissors. “But I guess the last day before we leave for holiday break put someone in the giving mood.”

“You think?” Alya responds, chuckling. “Christmas is _all_ about gifts and love. Someone must’ve thought this was the perfect time to lay out their feelings, even more so since most of us aren’t going to see each other until break is over. It’s like the perfect in-between time to actually get the nerve to confess.”

“And you really think someone would actually confess?”

“They left a note in your locker. I’m betting they confess by the end of the day, or sometime during break if you’re lucky.” Leaning in, Alya’s eyes gleamed as she continued speaking. “And, if you’re extra lucky, maybe this secret poet just so happens to be a certain model we know.”

There’s not much else to be said to paint a picture in Marinette’s mind, of blond curls and green eyes. Rolling her eyes, she tries to brush off Alya’s suggestion (which doesn’t work). “I doubt he would, Alya. He’s way too busy to be sneaking around before class starts and slip poems in lockers.”

“He gets dropped off a good twenty minutes before class starts, and I bet if I ask Nino where Adrien – “

“Don’t say his name,” Marinette interrupts, wary eyes darting around the room in case he heard.

“Okay. I bet if I ask Nino where _he_ was this morning,” Alya amends, “then he’ll tell me he didn’t see _him_.”

“And what if he wasn’t the one who wrote it? Then what?”

“Then I can snoop around during the party and find every lead that’ll help me figure out who really did.” Snorting, Alya started cutting into her wrapping paper. “Of course, it’s not like I wasn’t going to do that already.”

Marinette smiles, grateful at Alya’s offer. Beginning to cut her own roll of wrapping paper, however, it isn’t long before she’s letting out a hiss and bringing her finger to her lips, a new papercut bringing a stinging pain. Marinette feels the tears begin to start up and looks at Alya, holding out her injured finger.

“Why,” she begins to ask, “do _we_ have to be the ones wrapping gifts?”

Rolling her eyes, Alya gestured her scissors to the others in class, currently caught in a row over the placement of snow stickers on the windows. “Because,” she explains, “everyone else would blab about what everybody got Mme. Bustier and let the rest of the class know. Now get the tape and finish wrapping up what Alix got for her before you bleed out.”

Frowning, Marinette started to wrap the present up, smoothing out the paper as she speaks. “I doubt Mme. Bustier would like knee pads.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” Alya says, shaking her head as she started wrapping up Kim’s present. “And who knows? Maybe she’ll think long and hard and figure out what to do with all of this. Hopefully.”

Working in silence for a few minutes, the only audible sounds come from behind them, where more discussions on the decorations go on, and the wrapping of presents at their table.

“This is boring,” Marinette says after a moment, gazing at Max’s now wrapped present.

With a sigh, Alya nodded. “Tell me about it. If I had it my way, I would’ve stuck Rose and Juleka on this and called it a day.”

“Then why are we – “

“It was either this or put up the lights,” Alya answers, gesturing to the box next to them before Marinette can finish her question.

Marinette arched a brow, gazing at the box. Strings fell out from the top, pouring out near their working station. “The lights?”

“Yeah, the lights,” Alya answers, taping down the first side of a new present as she spoke. “Trust me, as bad as this seems, I’m _so_ not down to climb up on the ladder and start strewing the lights around the room. Knowing the class, someone would bump it and send me falling, and I do _not_ need a broken leg for Christmas.”

“Yeah,” Marinette laughs, before looking at the box again. “How horrible.”

The lights.

“So,” she starts, fiddling with the end of a ribbon, “do the lights just go over the chalkboard?”

“And the windows,” Alya says, smoothing out the corners as she spoke.

“And we need them done before the party starts and we take pictures, right?”

“Bingo.”

“So…” Marinette trails off, looking at Alya, “are there any takers for it yet?”

Looking up from the gift, Alya makes eye contact. “Mari, don’t tell me _you’re_ going to go and do them.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No, but the look on your face does,” she says, chuckling at the end of her sentence. “And I’m sorry, but I want my best friend in one piece for the holidays – and I’m sure your parents do too.”

“I can do it,” Marinette assures. “I’m not as clumsy you think.”

“Really?” Alya asks, pausing her gift wrapping to stare at Marinette.

“Sure, I trip and stumble every now and then – “

Alya playfully interjects, “Like just before class.”

“I didn’t see the last step,” Marinette says, defending herself. “But just because I had a little slip up today, doesn’t mean it’ll happen again. Or, for right now at least.”

Alya snorts, shaking her head.

“Come on, Al,” Marinette insists. “It’s just a few Christmas lights. How bad can it be?”

It’s moments later, arms beginning to ache as she held up a string of lights with one hand and a roll of tape in the other, that Marinette realizes just how bad it _could_ be.

“Everything good up there?” Alya asks from the table, watching her work.

“I’ve never been better,” Marinette responds, eyes trained up to focus above the chalkboard’s frame. Bringing the roll of tape to her mouth, she let her teeth bite down and pull off a strip to attach to the wall, her other hand raising the string of lights upward and drape just so.

“You sure you don’t want to come back down and help me out with these gifts?”

“And get another paper cut?” Marinette questions. “I think I’m fine up here.”

“Really?”

“Yup.”

“Then why,” Alya asks, carefully placing a bow on a gift, “haven’t you looked down at me yet?”

Marinette froze. She had a point there, one that seemed almost comical to Marinette the longer she thought about it. After all, she was _Ladybug_ , and had been thrown against buildings and tossed from rooftops enough times by now that it became almost expected during akumas for it to occur. And, when she wasn’t fighting for the safety of the city, Marinette spent her free hours training her body to become familiar with those sensations, leaping off buildings and seeing how much time she could spare in a moment before pulling out her yo-yo was a necessity. Her body had become a well-oiled machine over her course as heroine of Paris, and there was no reason being at the top of a ladder should spark any worries.

However, Marinette reasoned silently, there was a _big_ difference in being swept off her feet while protected by her suit versus when she was only wearing a loose sweater and jeans. Paired with the fact Alya didn’t know of her superhero persona either, Marinette found herself fumbling for a proper excuse.

“Well, it’s not that I _don’t_ want to look down at you,” she starts, continuing to train her eyes up, “or that I’m not second-guessing this whole thing – ‘’

Alya bites back a laugh, seeing right through Marinette already. “But?”

“But,” she continues, “I just think it’s hard enough making sure this is done properly, and looking away for even a second could ruin this all.”

“You haven’t even finished the first section of the lights yet,” Alya points out.

“Because it’s just _so_ hard to do!” Marinette exclaims, even while she can tell Alya’s grinning at her from below. “This can really be just _such_ a hard task.”

“You know what?” Alya asks, laughing. “I’ll take your word on it. Just don’t break any bones to prove your point about how tough this is.”

“ _Of course_ I won’t break anything,” Marinette says, rolling her eyes. “I told you already, I’m perfectly fine up here.”

And then, in that moment, the ladder suddenly titled, causing her to lose her balance.

There was an instinctive feel to take in the moment as she fell, time almost slowed down as she observed things occurring, one by one.

The feeling of nothing but air to support her feet, paired with arms that sprawled out in search of something.

The slight intake of breath, partnered with a strong shriek she would later track down to Alya.

The roll of tape, still firm in her grip.

The string of lights, dangling as it hit the wall and swayed from side to side.

Everything but the pain of coming in contact with the floor, pain she had expected but not yet came in contact with. No, instead of pain had been security, arms holding her tightly and body relaxing into their touch.

Into _his_ touch, Marinette corrects herself, looking up to gaze at curly blond hair and green eyes that were no longer apart of her dreams.

It’s Adrien, grinning at her with a smile so charming Marinette’s glad she’s not forced to stand on her own two feet yet.

“T-Thanks,” Marinette manages to say, before clearing her throat to try again. “Thank you, Adrien.”

What he responds with almost makes Marinette wonder if she did hit the ground after all.

“No problem, angel.”

**Author's Note:**

> mari-cheres on tumblr!


End file.
